This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
A subject, such as a human patient, may select or be required to undergo a surgical procedure to correct or augment an anatomy of the patient. The augmentation of the anatomy can include various procedures, such as movement or augmentation of bone, insertion of implantable devices, or other appropriate procedures. A surgeon can perform the procedure on the patient based on images of the patient, which can be acquired using an x-ray scanner having an imaging system. The images may be acquired prior to, during and/or subsequent to the procedure. The imaging system may be, for example, an O-Arm® medical imaging system such as those sold by Medtronic, Inc. or C-Arm imaging system. The images may be fluoroscopic or radiographic images depending on an operating mode of the imaging system.
The acquired images of the patient can assist a surgeon in planning and performing the procedure, as well as evaluating results of the procedure. A surgeon may select a two dimensional image or a three dimensional image representation of the patient. The images can assist the surgeon in performing a procedure with a less invasive technique by allowing the surgeon to view the anatomy of the patient without removing overlying tissue (including dermal and muscular tissue) when performing a procedure.
An O-Arm imaging system includes an ‘O’-shaped gantry and an ‘O’-shaped rotor. A C-Arm imaging system includes a ‘C’-shaped gantry and a ‘C’-shaped rotor. Each of these imaging systems typically includes an x-ray source and an x-ray detector mounted opposite each other on the corresponding rotor. Each of the x-ray sources generates x-rays, which are directed at a subject. Each of the x-ray detectors detects the x-rays subsequent to the x-rays passing through the subject.
As an example, an imaging system may include an x-ray source, an x-ray detector, and a generator. The generator converts a low-voltage (e.g., 400 volts (V)) to a high-voltage (e.g., 150 kilo-volts (kV)). The high-voltage is provided to the x-ray source to generate x-rays. For a same dosage period and amount of current, the higher the low-voltage and thus the higher the high-voltage, the higher the dosage of x-rays received by the patient. Similarly, for the same low-voltage, the higher the current level and/or the longer the dosage period, the higher the dosage of x-rays received by the patient.
The voltage, current and dosage periods can be adjusted by a surgeon (or system operator). A surgeon may intuitively increase the voltage, current and/or dosage periods in an attempt to provide improved images. This not only increases x-ray dosage to a patient, but can also decrease quality of acquired images. Increasing voltage, current and/or dosage periods can cause: x-ray detectors to be overloaded; images to be “grainy” and/or “spotted”; and/or image quality to decrease during a procedure.